The Bulldogs conclude a four game home stand with three games at the Dog Pound this week, with the action getting going Wednesday night when the Cowichan Valley Capitals are back in town. The Dogs then host the Surrey Eagles for a double header Friday and Saturday night, with the game on Saturday not being on the original schedule as it’s a make-up game from November when inclement weather prevented the Eagles for getting to the Island for the game. The Dogs enter play tonight 6th place in the Coastal Conference with a record of 18-27-2 and 1 for 39 points, the same amount as the 7th placed Grizzlies with the Dogs having three games in hand. The Dogs are two points up on the 8th placed Rivermen.
The Caps enter play tonight in 3rd place with a record of 29-15-1 and 6 for 65 points, three back of Powell River for second and four back of the Conference leading Eagles with Surrey having two games in hand on both teams. The Caps are three points up on 4th placed Coquitlam, with the Express having a game in hand. They were last in action Saturday night at home when they topped the Clippers 4-3. The Capitals got off to a good start, taking a 1-0 lead less than five minutes in on a Steven Iacobellis goal but the Clippers evened it at 1-1 later in the period. The Capitals would answer that with a power play goal by Jake Charles with five minutes left in the period for a 2-1 lead after one. The Clippers owned the second period on the scoreboard, tying it up just three minutes in before taking a 3-2 lead to the dressing room after 40 minutes on a power play goal just past the midway mark of the game. Iacobellis would score his second of the game just over a minute into the third to tie it up, before the Caps got the eventual game winner just four minutes later on their second power play goal of the game, this one from Devin Gannon for the 4-3 final.
The Capitals outshot the Clippers 47-43 with Derek Dun picking up the win in net. Special teams were a factor, as the Caps went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Clippers went 1 for 4.
It’s the sixth meeting between the teams with the Dogs registering three wins and a tie so far head to head, winning the last meeting 6-1 at the Dog Pound just last Tuesday. You can bet that the Capitals will be bringing their “A” game to atone for last Tuesday, so the Dogs had best be ready.
Catch the pregame show tonight from the Dog Pound at 6:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm on 93.3 The Peak FM, our website at www.933thepeak.com, and watch the Pay Per View Broadcast by visiting the BCHL’s Live Portal HERE
As mentioned above the Eagles enter play Wednesday as the Conference leaders. They were last in action Saturday night at home when they picked up a 3-2 double overtime win over the Langley Rivermen for their fourth straight win. Langley struck first in that contest, taking a 1-0 lead at the midway mark of the first before the Eagles tied it with less than three to play in the frame on a Tyler Morley goal. The score would stay that way into the third after a scoreless second frame. The Eagles took a 2-1 lead with under nine minutes to play in regulation on a goal by Brandon Tanev but they couldn’t make the lead stand as Langley evened it up with less than five to play in regulation with a power play marker. The game would end in double OT on a Alex Hagen marker just a minute and a half in for the 3-2 final.
Shots favoured the Eagles 42-26 Conor Barrie picking up 3rd star honours with the win. Surrey went 0 for 4 on the power play while Langley went 1 for 6.
It’s the fifth meeting between the teams this season and the second at the Dog Pound after the Eagles won the first three meetings in Surrey by scores of 5-3, 2-1 and 6-5. The last head to head meeting was at the Multiplex on January 21st when the Eagles picked up a 6-3 win despite the Dogs carrying the play and outshooting the Eagles 54-28. While the Dogs had more shots and the better of the play, they also gave up the better of the chances to the Eagles, who seemed to capitalize on every single one. With Surrey in a battle for positioning and currently leading the Coast, they will be no doubt be playing hungry hockey.
Catch the pregame show Friday and Saturday night from the Dog Pound at 6:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm on 93.3 The Peak FM, our website at www.933thepeak.com, and watch the Pay Per View Broadcast by visiting the BCHL’s Live Portal HERE
